Disclaimer: All character names belong to Stephenie Meyer, this particular story line and the mannerisms of said characters belong to the authors.

.oo0*TFF*0oo.

Six fucking hours on this hot bus full of a bunch of idiots, and I am chained to the fattest slob here. I groan as the walking human waste yet again scratches his crotch and smells it. Fucking gross! Just because we're classified as hard criminals doesn't mean we have to be crude. I look around at the other passengers. Here I am, chained to James Hunter, and behind us are agents Black and Clearwater. I have no fucking clue who the rest of these people are. There's a mix of groupings: singles, couples, and even a few families. Why the government had to be such cheap bastards and put two hard-ass criminals with two agents on a Travel-Ways Bus, I have no fucking clue. Don't they read or watch movies? Because this scenario never ends well.

I close my eyes, trying to block out all the excessive chattering. I just wish we could get off this filthy bus. When I open my eyes again, I see a woman walking passed us. She's smiling and flirting with me, batting her eyes and shit. What a stupid bitch. She's tall – around 5'8 or so – and really thin. She has this flaming red hair, and she plays with it while watching me.

James looks at her and smiles, showing his toothless grin. What a yuck! "Here, pretty girl; I have something big for you to suck on," he says, grabbing his junk.

The woman gives him a disgusted face and turns away.

Agent Black slaps James hard on the head. "Shut the fuck up, Hunter. I won't tell you again. I'll gag and tag your ass if you say shit like that one more time."

James looks behind him giving Black the finger. "Don't worry, Black, my cock will like your mouth, too." He gives him a wink before turning back around.

I shake my head and watch as the woman sits on the seat across from me. This woman must be the stupidest bitch around. I mean... can she not see our chains or prisoner orange shirt and pants?

I've been in prison for ten fucking years and haven't had pussy in six. I know the math doesn't work out, but I've been lucky to have a few female staff members inside the prison walls. They may not have been the prettiest women, and they may not have turned me on much, but fuck... I am not going to turn down free pussy - not when I could fuck them in the dark or close my eyes. Hey, don't judge me. At least I'm being honest. You know my mama always says honesty is the best policy.

I hate being on this bus, but I'm headed to federal court for a retrial. I was originally sentenced to the FDC Sea-Tac in Seattle, Washington, but because of over-population issues, I was sent off to Utah instead. Ten years after they sent me down, the fuckers finally admit that there is evidence that may acquit me, so I have to go all the way back to Seattle for the hearing. I hope that this time things go my way. After all, I just spent the last ten years behind bars for something I didn't do. I know, I know. Everyone is innocent, right? Well, I am. I should know... I was there.

As for James Hunter, well, he wins the yuck-ball lotto, and is being transferred from the CCM in Salt Lake City, Utah to King County Jail in Seattle to await trial for the charges he still has pending in the State of Washington. Lucky me! I'm trapped next to this gross jerk-off for the next eight or more hours.

With nothing else to do, I close my eyes and drift off to sleep. I remember when my life was different – when I was free. It was so long ago. I'm not really sure if I prefer my life now or then. Well, that's a lie. My life as a boy was hard, and I learned life was anything but fair, but being incarcerated was not a life I wanted to live either. Being strong and rich got a person everything, but being poor and resilient – even if you're a good person – got you set-up and hung out to dry. Life wasn't fair, and it didn't really matter if you were guilty or innocent. If there were others who had money then you were fucked. Even God left you hanging out to fucking dry.

.oo0*TFF*0oo.

My body slams forward in my seat and then back again. I look around and see that the bus has swerved. It's dark out, so I know I've been sleeping for a while. As I try to get my bearings, I hear gunfire and instinctively duck.

I look to James and see him smiling at me. "My pa has come to get me."

I raise my brow at him before two armed men storm the bus, causing Agents Black and Clearwater to start shooting back.

I look around and see the panic on people's faces. I finally come out of my shock as I'm pulled up from my seat and a gun is placed in my hands. I notice the chains are all hanging free, but are still on my body. James is no longer attached to me. How did that happen?

Looking back at the two agents, I see that James has a gun to Clearwater's head. "Start shooting those other fuckers!" James screams at me. "I'm killing these bastards."

Everyone starts screaming. I look at the agents in shock. I don't want to be a part of this, but knowing James and his friends, no one on this bus will leave with their life if I don't do something quick.

"Fuck Hunter. There are kids here. I always knew you were a piece of shit, Cullen."

I step forward and hit Black in the face. "Shut up, dog!" I take their weapons and place them in the back of my pants. Fuck! Why would this happen the day before I'm due in court? Knowing this new evidence will, in fact, acquit me, I swear to myself that God must truly hate me.

Calming myself instantly, I formulate a half-assed plan in my head. "Look, James, there're way too many people here to kill. Let's just go before the pigs get here. I'll deal with these two pieces of shit; you go check out your men."

"I knew you'd come to your senses when given the chance," James says, smiling as he walks away.

I roll my eyes at him as I get right in his face. "Shut the fuck up, Black." I fire the gun twice into the floor of the bus between the two agents. "Now be nice. I just saved your lives. Oh, and be a good dog and stay quiet, okay? I'm not the bad guy here, dumb ass. I'm saving your life, my life and the lives of everyone else on this fucking bus. By the way, watch for the clues and follow the bread crumbs."

I walk away and see the people all cowering as I pass. When I step out in to the pissing rain, I see that there are another three guys, James, and the woman that sat across from us.

"Get your bag, Cullen, so we can get the fuck out of here." I move to the back of the bus to grab my bag. When I see Agent Black's bag, I quickly search through it, looking for his handcuff keys and knife. I take both before heading to the waiting van.

"What is SHE doing here?"

James looks from me to the girl. "This cock-tease is coming with us."

I look at the girl, who now appears to look and act scared, but something is wrong. This doesn't feel right, and I trust no one.

"Fucking piece of shit Ford!" One of James' guys jumps out and starts shooting at the van.

"What the fuck, Riley? You're wasting bullets."

Riley sneers at James. "This piece of shit isn't starting. What the fuck do we do now? How are we going to get to...?"

Riley is cut off by James smacking him in the face. "Shut up, Riley. We'll use our feet." At that, James pulls the girl away and starts walking. I take one last glance the bus, seeing the people still cowering inside, so I pick up my bag and begin to follow James. The further into the woods we get, the more the rain pours down on us. I look to the sky when I hear a rumbling. Just fucking great – a fucking thunderstorm. Can this day get any fucking worse? I must've been a fucking asshole in a previous life for all the shit that's been handed to me in this one.

"So, Cullen, let me introduce you to everyone." I look to James as he glances back at me. "This guy in front is my pa, Laurent." Laurent gives me a hateful look as he glares at me. "Then the stupid jackass with the big fucking mouth is Riley, my little brother."

Riley stops and turns to James. "You're the fucker that got caught."

James ignores him and carries on. "That there is Frank. He's my right hand man." Frank turns to me and nods his head. "And lastly, this is Vicky and she's gonna be my whore." He pulls Vicky toward him, licking her face. Again, the whole interaction bugs the hell out of me. I'm really great at reading people, and something tells me that she's in on the whole thing.

As we continue walking, I trail behind so I can mark the trees, showing Black where we're heading. Hopefully the fucker can catch up with us now that no innocent bystanders are around. I'm pretty sure Vicky is a part of this shit, and the farthest thing from innocent there is.

I look among the group and notice Frank seems to keep himself away from the rest. It's almost as if he doesn't want to be involved with them.

"So, Cullen; I have a space on my team for a guy like you." I look at James incredulously and he chuckles. "I read the report about why you were incarcerated. It sure made for an interesting read. I would never picture you as a cold-hearted murder, but you can't judge a book by the cover now, can you? Let me just say that the way you did it was fucking beautiful."

I hold back my anger and the instant need to kill the fucker. Still, to this day, I have nightmares about what I stumbled upon. Since I was the poor boy from the trailer park, I must've been the one that did it. To them, I was guilty from the get go. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars. Go directly to jail. Then that fucker of a state lawyer I got fucked me over good. I remain silent as James goes on and fucking on about it.

"We need to take a break. I need to get my bearings on where we are," James states. I notice that he and Vicky share a look before he pushes her to the ground and walks away with his pa.

I take a second to look around, trying to work out roughly where we are. I know we were on the bus for more than eight hours, since it was dark when I woke up, and I know we've been walking for just over an hour. I shake my head in frustration, unable to figure any of this out. Fuck, I never finished high school, and I have no clue if we're walking east, south, west, or north. I'm fucked all over again, without a kiss to boot.

I grip my hair and look around at the others. James, Riley, and their pa are in deep conversation. Frank is standing off to the side smoking a cigarette. He's looking at me like he's sizing me up. And Vicky is on the other side of me shaking.

I walk to Frank. "Can I snag one of those?" He nods his head, handing one over to me, and lights it before walking away. There is something unnerving about the guy, and it's clear he likes his space. He almost gives off the vibe that makes you want to stay away from him.

I walk back closer to Vicky and she looks at me. "Please don't hurt me. Please, I have a kid." I look at her and hold back the chuckle. There is no way she has a fucking kid; she almost choked when she said it. "Just let me go. You don't seem to be as bad as they are. Please, I could run. I swear I won't tell anyone where you are."

I look at her and smirk. "What makes you think I would let you go?"

She looks over to where James is standing. "You stopped him from killing all the people on the bus."

I chuckle now, realizing that James is testing me. "That would be because I didn't want to waste a lot of bullets; we may need them later. Besides, I like slow, painful deaths. Putting bullets in them would be too quick for my taste." Her eyes widen as I talk. Unlike her, I'm a good actor.

She nods her head. "Are you going to kill me?"

I chuckle again. "Well, I think James has other plans for you. He's been in prison for a while. I'm sure he missed pussy; he's talked about it often enough."

I watch her swallow as she looks up at me. "What about you? Have you missed pussy?"

I shake my head at her. "I've had it plenty over the years. I've been lucky enough to have gotten conjugal visits. Not to mention, James there doesn't look to be the sharing type. I'll find my own. I think he plans on having a lot of fun with you, and you won't do me any good once he's finished."

She narrows her eyes at me. "You don't care if I..." Vicky is cut off by a twig breaking, and she suddenly stands up. We both look toward where the noise came from, and I see agents as I scan the area. I'm relieved when I see Agent Black's head pop up. Thank you, God!

I see her hand going behind her back as she runs. Fuck, she's armed. I move to her quickly and grab her, taking her to the ground as I hear gunfire.

Vicky pushes me off and I draw my gun out. "Don't fucking move!"

She looks at me, pulling out her own gun. "Fuck you, Cullen, you twit. I'm one of you. Now move out of my way!" She pushes past me and begins firing at the agents. I lie on the ground for a second, wishing this would just stop. When I finally sit up, I look at the others, who are still shooting, and see that Laurent has Agent Black in his sights, but Black doesn't see him. Fuck, this is all I need! I hold up my gun, hoping my aim is good, and squeeze the trigger as my eyes closes. I open them again, to see that I managed to shoot Laurent in the arm. Black looks at me and then at Laurent before opening fire on him.

The next moments go by quickly until James throws something at the agents. I hear a loud explosion before Frank pulls me up off the ground.

"We need to move now, Cullen." He pulls me along and I see James and Vicky sort-of carrying Laurent. I look around for Riley, but don't find him. Frank catches my eye. "One of the agents shot him right in the head." I give Frank a slight nod, and we rush to keep up with the others.

"We need to get him inside and outta this rain. He's hurt bad, and this storm is making things harder for us."

James nods his head at Vicky. "Cullen, change places with Vicky." I grip Laurent's arm, pulling him up a little as Vicky slaps me.

"What the fuck?"

She looks at me angrily. "Riley is dead because of you! You pulled a gun on me, you stupid fucker!"

I stare back at her. "Well, if someone told me you were on our side, then I wouldn't have tried to stop your attempted escape!"

She looks at James and then at me. "I don't trust you, Cullen. You step out of line and I'll fucking kill you myself."

She moves away from me, and James looks at me but says nothing.

We continue walking now that I'm helping to carry this fucker. I can't mark the trees anymore since my hands are full. Fuck!

"James, there's a house just over there," Vicky shouts out over the sound of the pouring rain. I look to the side of us as a bolt of lightning lights up the sky again, and I see the house she's talking about.

When I look over at James, he's smiling. "Well, I think we should pay a visit, don't you?" Vicky nods, so we head over to the house. I silently pray that we find it empty. As we get closer, I see that there are lights on, and my hope is dashed.

"Frank, help hold my pa," James orders and Frank takes his place. James walks to the door, knocking as he hides his gun behind his back. I let out a sigh as I hear a woman's voice from inside. God really fucking hates me!

"I am so glad you guys are hom..." Her voice trails off as she opens the door, and I close my eyes.

Nope, God doesn't hate me; he despises me. Standing in the doorway is a nun - a young fucking nun.

"Well, hello there, sister. We need some help."

She looks at him. "I'm sorry but..." Before she can finish what she's saying, James barges in and sends the nun to the floor. I hear screams from inside the house that sound like children.

Vicky walks in behind James, and Frank and I drag Laurent in after them. We drop him on the couch when we get to it, and I look over to see that James has the nun by her shoulders as she cowers on the floor beneath him.

"Who all is here?"

When I look around, I see six children huddling together in the corner.

"It's just me and the children. They're all over there."

James pulls her up to her feet and leans over her. "Listen here, sister: I will kill you if you lie to me."

I move quickly to them. "James, she's a nun. She may have some skills to help your father. I don't know what to do for him, do you?"

James looks at me and drops the nun to the floor once again. "I need to know if anyone else is here. She better help my pa, or I'll kill those kids and make her choose which one dies first. Frank, check out upstairs. I'll check out the ground floor. Vicky, you keep an eye on those kids in there. Edward, you get her helping Pa." James orders, motioning to the nun on the floor before he storms away. I bend down, gently taking her arm.

She turns and looks at me for the first time. Now I will go to hell for sure, not that my life has been that great anyway. I knew she was young, but not this fucking young. She has to be in her late teens to early twenties. That's not what catches my breath, though. What does is that I am looking at the most beautiful girl-woman I've ever seen. She has the prettiest eyes, and they're staring right back at me. It's almost as if she's seeing right in to my soul; well, if I have a soul after tonight.

I suddenly feel sad, knowing that she'll see that I'm nothing. Fuck! God really hates me. "Sister, I need to know if anyone else is here. Who did you think was at the door?"

She looks at me and then around herself. "I thought that Father Charlie and Sister Renee were back. They're out at a church meeting in Port Angeles."

I nod my head at her. "What is this place?"

She frowns as she looks at me. "It's the church manor and children's home."

Again, I nod my head and look at the children before looking back to her. "Laurent over there has been hurt. Do you think you can help me fix him up?"

She looks over at him. "I'm not sure. Sister Renee is the nurse not me. She's showed me a little, though, so I'll try."

I smile at her and help her to stand. I watch her walk over to him. She looks at his wounds before she turns to me. "I need to put the children to bed, and I think he'd be better off in one of the beds upstairs. The first-aid box is in the kitchen."

She stops to look behind her as James walks back in. "You better help him. Vicky, get those brats to their bedroom and lock them in there somehow. Be sure to tell them a bedtime story about what happens to bad children. Frank, you help me take Pa upstairs and you, Edward, can go with the sister here to get the first-aid box. You seem to be able to get her to cooperate."

James walks over to the nun and pulls her face up to his. "You better not let him die, or I swear I'll make you believe there is no God." James picks up his pa and looks at me. "Get a move on!"

I watch the nun move quickly out of the room, and I follow behind her as she starts getting things from the kitchen.

I clear my throat as I watch her at her. "Sister," I chuckle, shaking my head. I hate calling her that; it makes me feel really shitty. "What's your name?"

She looks back at me as she sets the kettle to boil. "Isabella, but the children – well, everyone – calls me Bella."

I nod my head at her. "You're very young to be a nun."

She pours the hot water into a basin. "No, not really. I just turned twenty, and I'm not really a nun, yet. I've still got some training to do."

My heart speeds up when she says she's still in training. Fuck, she's still devoting her life to God.

"I think I have everything I need."

I look at her and shake my head. "Here, let me help you." I take a bunch of the stuff and follow her upstairs. We arrive at the room James has taken Laurent to.

"You'll need to take off his shirt so I can get the wound cleaned up."

James chuckles at her. "So, the sister is a pervert! Sure, sister, I'll take off Pa's shirt, but he'll be expecting yours off in return. We'll need to dress you up because he'd want a sexy nurse to heal him, and you're really not that sexy. He does like the untouched girls, though. My Pa will enjoy that cherry."

I watch Bella's face go red and have to grip the doorway to stop myself from killing James right here and now.

There is no fucking way this girl will be with his pa. She is MINE! Mine? What the fuck? No wonder God hates me; I can't believe I'm even thinking things like that.

I watch Bella roll up her sleeves and get to work on Laurent. She even removes the bullet and then sews him back up. I follow her as she walks shakily to the bathroom and cleans her hands. "Bella, you did well." I approach her, placing my hand on her to stop her scrubbing, but as I do, I feel an electric shock. I look to my hand then to hers.

"Can I see the children now, please?" I look into her eyes, seeing that she's scared. She's even afraid of me.

I know this is a good thing because I'm not a good guy. I'm certainly nowhere near good enough for her, but I can't help telling her she's safe.

"Bella, I swear I will not let them hurt you or the children. Please believe me. I promise I'll keep you all safe, even with my dying breath."

I don't know how or when it happened, but as I spoke, I stepped forward and placed my hand on her face. Here I am with my hand on her soft, beautiful face, looking into her soul-baring eyes as she looks right back in mine. I watch her hand cover mine, and she holds it as her thumb rubs circles.

"I know you will, but who will save you?" I suck in a breath and close my eyes because that's the one question I have asked myself time and time again.

She finally moves past me, and again, like an obedient dog, I follow her into a different room. Once inside, I see that there are three boys standing in front of three girls. "Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett: stand down." They look at her, then at me, and then back again. Whatever they saw on her face makes them go back to their beds.

"Bel-la, I'm scared! I hate lightning, and now these people are here," the smallest girl cries out.

Bella kneels in front of her. "I know, Alice, but we'll be fine. God will look after us; all of us," Bella says, looking at me as she says the last apart. "As for the thunder, I told you the angels are just moving the furniture around. They'll stop soon. Now, have you all said you prayers?" They all nod their heads at her. "Well, I think it's time for bed then. Let's go."

They all look at her. "Bella, do we have to sleep alone tonight?"

Bella looks to another little girl and sighs. "Rose, you know Father Charlie's rules."

They all let out little groans. "Please, Bella? We're all scared. Please? I don't think..."

Bella holds up her hand. "I know, Esme." Bella scratches her head for a second as she looks around the room. "Okay, if we move those two beds together, you three girls can share that. What about you boys? Do you want your own bed, or do you want to share?"

The boys look at each other and then at me. "Our own, but we wanna watch over the girls," one says, looking right at me.

I help Bella move everything around, and then she tucks everyone in to bed. As she kisses them, there's a flash of light followed by a loud boom. Suddenly, we're all in darkness and the kids all scream.

"Hush now, please. The storm must've hit the power lines. We have a generator. I'll go and turn it on. Please, stay here where you'll be safe." I feel her take my arm, moving us out the door.

"The generator is in the stables on the side of the house. Let's go and get it started." We make our way downstairs and I hear James shouting about the lights being out.

"James, calm down. Bel... I believe the sister here says this house has a generator. I'm taking her out to get it turned on right now." I had to think quickly to cover my tracks. I don't want them knowing Bella and I have a rapport.

I hear him moving around and I jump back slightly when he's suddenly right in front of us. "Do it quick."

I walk out with her in to the pouring rain. I quickly look around but see nothing. We both run when a bolt of lightning allows us to see the stables. We get there and she pushes the door open and heads inside. Bella works fast as she tries to start it up.

I place my hand on top of hers. "Let me," I say, pulling it hard. My arm catches on something sharp, but we hear the noise of the generator rumble and then the lights flicker on.

"Edward, you're hurt!" Bella gasps. I hold my breath, hearing her say my name. I feel her hand on my arm as she looks at the cut. "Sit, please."

I shake my head, trying to clear it, because all I want to do now is take her in my arms. "I'm fine, sister."

She looks at me as I use the term 'sister' instead of her name. I'm trying to keep in mind she belongs to God.

She pushes me down. "No, please. Let me help you."

Not wanting to argue with her, I sit so she can look it over. She moves to the side and takes off her white head cover, and as she removes it, her long brown hair falls around her shoulders. I am in such awe of her beauty that time seems to stand still. "Beautiful," I whisper huskily, before I'm able to grasp reality.

I hear footsteps coming toward the stables, so I reluctantly make her cover her head again and I stand. I take her arm so it appears that I am directing her motions.

"What's taking so long?" James asks, opening the door.

"I cut myself starting this thing. I need the sister here to sew me up. Is the power back on at the house?"

"Yeah. Let's go," he snarls.

If I knew where that fucking bitch Vicky was, I'd shoot James right now. I'm thankful I don't though, because I see her when a flash from the sky lights up the area. She's standing off to the side, under the awning.

"Well, let's get Pa's virgin nursemaid to check him out again, and then maybe if Pa ain't ready to fuck her, she can sew you up."

I want to fucking rip his head off and piss down his throat. That vile bastard will pay for his words about my Bella.

Back inside the house, Bella checks on the still alive, but unconscious, Laurent; she then tends to caring for my arm.

I head downstairs and hear Vicky talking to James. "There's a red truck outside. There's enough room for us and Pa. I say we kill those brats and the sister. Knock out Cullen and he can take the rap for this."

James chuckles. "My Pa'll be sad that he didn't get at least a taste of that forbidden fruit. You know how much he loves little virgin girls. He loves seeing their faces in pain as he fucks them hard."

Vicky sighs out in clear frustration. "For fuck's sake, James! We can pick one up for him someplace else, but we need to get the hell out of here. We've got your pa on the mend, so we need to keep moving. I don't like Cullen anyway. He's getting too close to Mary with the cherry."

I hear James chuckle at her crudeness. "Fine; but we need to deal with Frank, too. He let my brother die. Which do you want– the good little nun or the children? I'll get Frank to keep Cullen busy."

She chuckles and I hear them kissing. "I'll deal with the children. I know that look. You wanna play with the little sister first. Do you want to pop her cherry since Pa can't, lover? I'll let you fuck her, but you have to come fuck me first."

Fuck! I feel sick as I hear their twisted conversation. What am I going to do? I have to figure something out fast. I move quickly upstairs and almost run in to Frank. I know that he must've heard, too. "We need to get the kids out of here." I look at him, puzzled. "From what I've seen, I trust you're not a part of their group. I'm doing this for two reasons. One, I was brought up in this same church children's home. And, two, I'm an undercover Fed. I was gathering evidence on Laurent and the rest of his family. I've been with them for two fucking years. I still don't have everything my boss wanted, but I can't stand here and let them kill those kids. If my bosses are pissed, well then tough shit. You helping me, Cullen, or dying?" he asks with his gun in his hand.

"Let's protect Bella and the children," I say, not even worried about dying as long as they are safe.

We walk into the room where all the children and Bella are. "We need to get everyone out of here. Now!" I whisper. She looks from me to Frank. "Bella, sweetie, please trust us."

She nods her head and turns to face Frank. "Are you taking them to the church shelter, Frankie?"

I look at her then to Frank and he chuckles. "I didn't think you'd remember me, Lil' Bells."

Bella rolls her eyes. "You're not the type of person anyone would easily forget. Let's get them up and moving." Bella begins waking the children and Frank ties the bed sheets together.

"I haven't been here in a few years. I assumed that Bella had gone to college and Father Charlie and Sister Renee had stopped taking children in."

I look at him and raise my brow in a questioning way. "They're both getting on a bit now, so I figured this place was closing. When I first saw this house, I didn't think anyone would be home. They're always away this time of year for meetings and seminars." As I look at him, I see the struggle within him. I know that he couldn't say anything because James is the type of person to go after a cop's family, and this looks to be his.

"We're all ready." I look at Bella and see that she's gotten all the children up and they have their jackets on. I look back at her and she still has her nun dress on, which is wet all the way through. "Let start."

Frank slides down the sheets first then, I believe, Emmett goes next.

"Sister!" I look to the door when I hear James calling Bella. She looks at me and begins moving to the door.

"Bella," I say, gripping her arm and pulling her toward me.

She shakes her head. "Please, I need to go. He can't come in here. We need to get them to safety first. Please. Help me get them safely out."

I sigh and see that there are still three to get out.

"I'll come for you as soon as the last one's down. I'll come for you. If he goes to do anything to you, fight. Don't let him hurt you." I pass her the knife I had and watch her walk out of the room.

"We need to do this faster," I urge. The children look at me and then to the door, hearing muffled talking.

I look down as I help Alice get a hold of the sheet and I see that Frank's worried about Bella. I look right at him, telling him that I will not leave her. "All right, Jasper, it's your turn." Jasper looks at me and swings his legs out the window.

"So, what's going on in here?" I turn to the door and see Vicky. I look back at Jasper and then to Vicky.

"James, quick! Cullen turned on us. He..."

I leap over the bed at Vicky, tackling her to the ground. I take out the handcuffs I had taken off earlier, and put them on her before attaching them to the radiator. "You son-of-a-bitch, Cullen! I swear I'm going to gut you and your little bitch, too."

"Shut the fuck up. If you didn't notice, you have no weapon and you're cuffed to a radiator. Be nice, or I'll put a bullet in your head."

I run to the window and don't see Frank or the children anywhere.

I draw out my gun and head back out of the room to find James and Bella.

"James, he coming! Hurry up and kill the bitch!"

I growl at Vicky before slamming the door closed, wishing I could hit the bitch.

I make my way down the hall, stopping to look in at Laurent and check him over. Sadly, he's still alive but out for the count. I walk back out of the room, checking the others as I go. They all turn up empty. Fuck! Where are they? Please, God, just this one time let me save her; let me save someone.

I hear a scream coming from downstairs and I jump, running towards it. I run in the room, seeing James on top of my Bella while she tries to fight him off. When I see his hand go to her leg, I fire my gun at him. I miss him by a mile, however, and the fucker turns and looks at me. I see that he has a cut on his face and I internally smile at the fact that my girl has put up a good fight.

Fuck, she's not your girl, Cullen. She belongs to God!

I look at Bella and see that she's now in a tank top and granny panties. "What the fuck did you do to her, James?"

He looks at me and laughs. "I want a taste of God's little wife."

I feel the anger and rage inside me and my hands begin to shake. "Don't you ever touch her again!"

James laughs at me. "I hope you're not afraid of the dark, Cullen."

I look at him as the room goes black. When I hear him move away, I go toward where Bella was when the lights went out. I touch her, making her scream. As I move to hush her, she wraps her arms around me. "Edward," she whispers against my skin. Then I hear a gunshot upstairs.

I let out a sigh and frown. She was able to tell that it was me by my touch. "Bella, we need to get out of here. Now!" I feel her nod and we stand up. Now that my eyes have adapted to the darkness, I take hold of her hand and we make our way around the house.

"Cullen, where are you, you pussy?" I stop, pulling Bella towards me as Vicky walks past us. I cover Bella's mouth to stop her scream from coming out. I look right into her eyes, silently telling her again that I will protect her with everything I have. She nods her head as we wait until Vicky is far enough away to move again.

We begin walking once more until someone barges into us, knocking Bella to the floor. "You thought you got rid of me, Cullen? Well, you should've shot me!" Vicky screams in my face before hitting me square in the jaw.

I struggle to move her off me. "James, I have Cullen in the hallway."

I grab her hair, pulling it hard as she hits me again. "Really, Cullen? You fucking fight like a girl. I knew you were a pussy," she says, hitting me again. "Anyway, I love beating ass, so I will enjoy beating you to dea..." Her eyes glaze over and she goes limp on me. I push her off, feeling someone else in front of me, so I draw my gun.

"Edward, its Bella." I feel her touch my hand, so I pull her close and kiss her head.

"Are you all right?" I whisper to her. I feel her nod her head, and I pull her to me again, knowing that James is close by.

"What happened to Vicky?" I ask, having no idea what knocked her out.

"I used the stuff I gave to that Pa guy. Sister Renee keeps it here. We've had some children who came from bad backgrounds, and she uses it if they have bad panic attacks and we can't calm them."

I look back at her, smiling at the fact she sedated not only Vicky, but Laurent, too. Bella and I make our way outside, but as we do, I hear James following us out. Knowing that we can't go to where Frank took the kids, I pull Bella back to the stables. When we get inside, the lights are bright and blinding to my eyes. Adjusting to the light, I quickly turn to look at Bella and gasp. She's only wearing a tank top and granny panties, and they just happened to be white and wet. Why, dear God? Why are you torturing me like this? I close my eyes and take off my shirt. "Put this on, Sister," I order, handing her the shirt. I feel her take it, and wait a few seconds before opening my eyes again.

"Cullen, where are you, you fucker?" I pull Bella behind some haystacks and motion for her to be quiet.

"I know you and the sister are in here. Come out now and I'll kill you quick. Well, after I slowly kill that little bitch in front of you." I hear him getting closer and I let out a sigh.

"Thank you," I mouth to Bella.

Bella looks at me strangely and I smile at her. I know that she's wondering why I'm thanking her, but I shake my head. "Don't move 'til you hear the gunshots," I whisper right before jumping up. I run to the other side of the barn, open the door, and then slam it shut again. I look up in time to catch James looking at me, so I look back to the door and scream. "Bella, run!" As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I run out the door, praying that James will follow. I'm glad when I look back and see him chasing me. I turn and shoot my gun, giving Bella her signal to move as James tackles me to the ground. "You stupid fucker! They are going fry your ass." Unlike my fight with Vicky, I hit him back. Unfortunately, he's a big guy... and I do mean big. He hits me hard, and my gun flies out of my hand as he points his own gun at me. I look to the sky to see that the sun has begun to rise.

"You didn't save anyone, Cullen. You're a fuck-up." I can't help but smile at him. "God will save them; he will save her, too." I close my eyes and pray that he will.

I hear a gunshot followed by people shouting. When I open my eyes, I see James lying dead in front of me. A look around me reveals Agent Black and his team surrounding the house. Just as I look at him, I feel a body jump into my arms. I know with everything in me that it's Bella, so I pull her close. As I hold her, I hear talking and agents getting closer to us. "We got Laurent and Vicky. They're both knocked out."

I have no clue who's talking, as I'm caught up in Bella's eyes again. I push her hair away from her neck, and I see that she has a small tattoo of a blue butterfly under her ear.

"I so wish that I was good enough for you. Even if I was, I still couldn't have you because you belong to God. But, I so want to know you in every way possible, and that proves that I'm not good enough for you. It proves that I'm a bad person."

Bella shakes her head at me and sobs. I know that her tears aren't for me, but because of what she's just gone through. I touch her face again, and she stands on her tiptoes because she's almost a foot shorter than me, and pushes her hand in my hair.

I lean down a bit and kiss her lips. I know that I shouldn't have, but I could no longer hold back. What shocks me is that Bella kisses me back with a passion I've never felt before. I pull back but keep my hand on her cheek. "See? That proves it; a true gentleman would have asked."

I hear and feel the handcuffs being put on me as my hand is moved behind my back. "Let's go, Cullen."

I look to see Bella crying harder as a car pulls up to the house. A priest and another sister step out and move to Bella, who falls into their arms, crying. I close my eyes, holding back my own tears. I'm unable to look at her as the car I'm in passes by.

.oo0*TFF*0oo.

I sit in the courtroom with Bella still on my mind. I'm in shock because both agents – Frank and Black – spoke on my behalf. I'm glad I was acquitted, and my entire record is being expunged. I sign the papers of the settlement deal that the government offered for wrongful imprisonment.

It took a month – a very long month – for the investigation to wrap up before the hearing could happen. Stepping outside the courthouse, I see Frank waiting for me, standing beside a red truck. He hands me the keys, telling me it's from Bella. He goes on to tell me that she misses me.

This still isn't enough for me to go back. I'm not good enough for her. I've never been jealous in my life of anyone or anything, but right now I'm jealous of God, because he has my soul-mate. I'm also mad because everywhere I look here, reminded of her. Thirty days of thinking of her. Thirty days of having everything remind me of her. Songs on the radio make me think of her. Commercials on the television make me long for her. Words from books fill me with the need to be close to her. Everything has reminded me of what I can't have, with the only person I've ever wanted it with.

.oo0*TFF*0oo.

I'm sitting at a red light when a nun crosses the street in front of me, and it makes me think of Bella. I can't seem to clear my thoughts. I look to the side of the road and a man is holding a sign: 'Don't live in fear. Take a chance when it comes your way.' I drive down the road, thinking over my choices. I finally get so frustrated that I pull off at a small roadside picnic area.

So, here I am, in the middle of nowhere with two choices. I can either go and take the chance on her wanting me too, or just go as far away from her as possible and let her be free of me. "God, just tell me straight, please. Do I go to her or leave her alone? I can't be this close to her and not want her. Fuck!" I yell, gripping my hair. Here I am, swearing at God; like that's a good idea. "I have no idea what I did to make you hate me so much, but please, God, give me one clear message. Do I go to her? Is she yours, or is my inability to forget her your way of saying you put her here for me?"

I look around and close my eyes, feeling stupid. When I feel a raindrop fall on my face, I sigh. I move back toward the truck but stop suddenly. There on the hood is a little blue butterfly flapping its wings. I look to the sky and back to it again before closing my eyes and picturing the small blue butterfly on her neck.

"I'm taking that as a yes! She's meant for me; you're giving her to me." I jump back in the truck, feeling happy and free for the first time in my adult... well, my whole life, actually. I push the truck hard so I can get to my girl.

I smile as I come up on the house. I fly passed a girl walking in jeans and a shirt. Wait, that's my shirt! Fuck, that's Bella! I slam on the brakes and jump out. "Bella!" I yell and she turns and looks to me. Her face is pale, and she looks sad. I take a breath, moving closer to her. "I have nothing: no family, no real life, and all I own is what is in this truck. I'm not the smartest of people. I wouldn't always be able to give you everything that you deserve, but I'd never neglect your needs. I'm moody, and I smoke and swear, even though I'm trying to stop those two. I have never really lived, but I know that I want to live. All I can give you is my whole heart." I stop and chuckle, shaking my head. "Well, you already own my heart; it's been yours since the first moment I looked in your eyes. You've already given me your truck, and I feel selfish to ask for your heart..." I choke on my words. Closing my eyes, I silently wish I could do this better. My eyes snap open again when I feel her against me. I wrap my arms around her and I pull her close.

"You took my heart that night, too."

I look at her and see only love reflecting in her eyes. "Can I kiss you?"

She nods her head, so I kiss her with everything I have. Suddenly, it comes to me that she's still a nun, even though she isn't dressed like one today.

"I'm sorry. You are... training to be a nun. Where's your dress, anyway?"

She shakes her head. "I can't, I just couldn't... Father Charlie says that God leads people to where they need to be. Sometimes it means being something different for a short time." I nod my head at her, understanding her dilemma. "I think I'm meant for you. You were meant to save us, and God is giving you a family. Together, we are a family, and we are made for each other."

I pull her up and kiss her before taking her back to the truck. I hold her hand as we drive the rest of the way to her home.

.oo0*TFF*0oo.

Bella and I are having a picnic. We feed each other and share little kisses. I have never felt this happy in my entire life, and each day, I know I will love her more and more. I kiss her lips as I lay her down on the blanket that is covering the long grass. I cover her warm, sun-kissed body with mine. Instinctually, her legs part allowing me to settle right between them. The warmth radiating from her drives me wild. I rock my hips against her and catch the moan she makes as my lips hungrily devour hers.

Her hands slide up my back, and her feet hook over my legs. The innocence of my girl is astounding, even when the natural moves she makes take over. Fumbling slightly, I unbutton the front of her lacy top. I move us enough to get the fabric out of the way and off her body, and then I unlatch her bra swiftly and suck one of her pebbled peaks into my mouth. With her back arched and her legs pulling me closer, I thrust my jean-covered cock in to her heat. Moving back and forth across her chest, I nibble, suck and lick until she begs me for more.

"What do you want more of, my love?"

"You – um... too many – take off – Edward... please," she stutters and rambles out.

I know my girl pretty well by now, and I know that she needs me to pay attention to certain areas. I continue to lick and nibble her glorious breasts as my hands make purchase on the closure of her shorts. I move quickly and, wasting no time, I pull down the shorts and panties she is wearing in one fell swoop.

"Oh, my sweet, I can smell your juices and I can't wait to taste you and drink them up," I tell her. I'm resting on my knees at her side and I yank my shirt over my head. Unbuttoning my pants, I decide to leave them on for now. I let the button-fly closure hang open, to help give some room to my cock.

"Can I taste you, my love? Can I lick that sweet honey pot?"

She nods her head at me, and I know she's aware that I will not taste her until she tells me orally. I trace my finger lightly up her thigh and along the crease of her leg. As my finger trails through some of the slick juices between her legs, her bottom bucks up off the blanket.

"Does that feel good, my love?"

Again she only nods her head, so I continue to drive her desire harder. Grazing my knuckles over her nub, I move my finger to her other leg; her hips again lift from the blanket.

"Did you need something from me, my love?"

She nods.

"What, my love?"

"Ed – ward... pl – ease."

"Please what, my love?"

"Please – me... please," she pants.

"I will please you so much you will forget who you are, but first, my sweet, innocent lover, you have to tell me how exactly to please you."

"Lick me, suck me, kiss me, touch me, fuck me," she growls out.

"When I met you, you were a sister in training, and now you have such a dirty mouth. I may have to fill it with my cock."

She moans out and grabs for me, but I back away before she can reach me. Tsk'ing at her, I shake my head. "Now, you want me to lick you, so show me where you want me to lick. Touch yourself, my love, and show me where you want my tongue."

I watch as her hand trails from her mouth, across her jawline, down her neck and to her chest. She sighs as her fingers trail over her hard sensitive peaks, and moans as her fingers trail across her stomach and move to her hips. She pants as her fingers get closer to her pussy and as her finger dips between her folds, she calls out my name.

"Fuck, that was so hot, my love. I can't wait to follow that map."

I move to her head, kiss her lips, and then, using the tip of my tongue, I trace over them. I follow her path, spending extra time on her nipples before moving down her stomach to her belly button, where I dip my tongue inside. Pulling my tongue out, I trace around the small opening and then dip my tongue back in. Moving my tongue in and out, suddenly her back is arching off the blanket and a loud moan rips from her chest. After several times of making her pant as I trail from one hipbone to the other, I settle my body between her legs.

When I look up at her, I see that she's watching me intently. "Is this where you want my mouth, my love?"

"Yes, now – please, now..."

"Yes, my love, now," I say as I thrust my tongue between her folds and flick continuously over her clit until she is screaming out my name. Driving her over the edge with straight clit stimulation is great, but now the fun part begins. I thrust two of my fingers deep inside of her at the same time she falls over the edge. The way her walls contract, it feels like they're sucking my fingers inside her even deeper. I rock my fingers in and out of her tightness, all while laying light kisses and swipes of my tongue all over her soaked pussy lips and inner thighs. Once I feel her building closer, I suck the over-sensitive nub back into my mouth. Keeping the suction on her clit, I also start flicking it with my tongue. I only let go of the suction when I take the time to lightly bite down and nibble at her clit. Adding another finger, I set a grueling pace. As I finger fuck her and suck her clit, my cock pulses to each of her screams of pleasure. Once her climax takes over, and she's rocking her hips in time to the thrusts, I slowly bring her down.

"Watching you cum like that is one of the most erotic sights I've ever seen," I whisper to her as I move back up her body.

Using my feet, I manage to get my jeans down my legs. The heaviness of my cock smacks her stomach as my pants drop down enough to free it. I continue kissing her as she licks me, tasting her juices on my lips. She pulls her mouth from mine, but moves to my chin, where she kisses, licks and sucks the rest of her juices from my face.

"Fuck me, now," she growls before moving her mouth back to mine.

I waste no time lining myself up and pushing deep inside of her. I have to stop as I'm seated in all the way. Even with stretching my girl out, her tightness hugs my cock so much; it takes me a minute to adjust. "You're so wet, tight, and hot, my love. Are you ready for me to fuck you hard? We don't have much time, and I need to fuck you."

"Yes, Edward, I'm ready. Fuck me!" As soon as the word 'me' leaves her mouth, I pull all but the tip of my cock out and slam my hips against hers as I thrust back inside of her. Hooking her knees over my elbows, I lean forward and lift her ass from the blanket. I have her at the perfect angle to drive into her g-spot. I know I hit the right area as I feel the spongy texture and her moans go from low growling moans to high pitched shrieks of my name.

I kiss her as I feel my orgasm building. "Touch your pretty little pussy, my love. Rub that clit. I need you to cum while my cock is inside of you. Fuck... Rub it harder, my love – Ung – oh fuck! I'm going to cum, Baby. Oh, fuck – yeah, oh fuck yeah!" I stammer as I thrust with wild abandon. I reach down and press harder on her fingers that wildly circle her clit. As she screams out my name, I pump the streams of my seed deep inside of her.

As we come down from our sexual bliss, I roll us so that we are facing each other on our sides. I kiss her gently, and caress the soft skin of her back and side. As we come back to our senses, I kiss her and smile.

"So tell me. Is this forbidden fruit the sweetest you ever tasted?" she asks with a smirk on her face.

I look at her, playing with her hair as I shake my head. "Nope, not even close," I say with a smirk. "My wife is. And, every time I kiss you, my wife, you taste even sweeter." I feel her chuckle as I kiss the top of her head.

I really can't believe that it's been a year since I first met her and ten months since she became my wife. Meeting Father Charlie and Sister Renee was not as hard as I thought it would be. They both took me in and helped me. Charlie and Renee are both older, so I help out wherever I can. I keep the house safe and fixed up, as well as work in the orchard and vegetable gardens.

I look up and see the school bus coming down the gravel road, and I let out a sigh. "The kids are back. We better get going. I know the boys are looking forward to the camping trip with Frank." I jump up, pulling Bella up as well. We quickly dress, pack up, and head back, hand-in-hand, to the manor. I look up to see our family, all standing there waiting on us. My gaze travels to the sky next and I smile. Just maybe God doesn't hate me after all.